


Before the Rescue

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 09:06:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18518296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: The night before Anne's rescue, Astor and Evergray have a little chat. Astor belongs to SpaceUnicornDot.





	Before the Rescue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SpaceUnicornDot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceUnicornDot/gifts).



Guardians Dale had not seen so much activity in centuries. In fact, it had stood as it was, silent with the four imposing statues looking down upon all who entered, for years. The years had, unfortunately, not been kind to it, with tiny cracks running through the massive statues and the gateway and one statue destroyed altogether. Weeds and even a spider or two had encroached on the space, though Evergray could easily imagine the grandeur that this place must once have held. It still held that same grandeur.

Though the group inside of the Dale itself was much smaller than the group at the campsite, it was still quite busy as people rushed to and fro getting things ready for the big day tomorrow. Bonnie was hard at work fixing Evergray’s potato clock, while Derek’s fingers kept twitching towards his camera.

“Go ahead and take some photos,” said Evergray, seeing the boy gazing up at the giant winged statue. It almost looked like he recognised it, but he did have that picture of Anne and Concorde with their aura out for all the world to see at the post office in Silverglade Village. Mercifully, most people, choosing to believe in the ordinary, had figured that the photograph was photoshopped. The world was not yet ready for the truth of magic to be revealed, as the druids had droned on and on about for years. It was the one thing that Evergray agreed with them on, really- humans weren’t ready, humans could be cruel, and humans would probably find some way to misuse it, which would lead to it being policed. And that would be boring.

“Are you sure?” Derek asked, his eyes lighting up.

“Sure,” said Evergray, nodding. “See how many orbs show up.” He grinned and Derek’s eyes got huge, which made him laugh.

Amid all of the sounds of footsteps and chatter, though, Evergray quickly picked up the different sound of large hoofsteps on the cobblestone. It didn’t echo, though, the fog swallowing it up before it could reach the walls of this place. And Evergray turned and beamed at the sight of his husband approaching on his dapple grey Clydesdale, Merlin. Astor had dropped him off here before heading back to the campsite to check in on his kids, as he called them. For all of his jokes, Astor was the father that a lot of those kids needed, and that was something that Evergray loved deeply about him. How much Astor cared.

Now, as Astor approached his husband, he looked tired. Merlin stopped just short of Evergray, and Astor sagged against his horse’s neck, his eyes closing.

“Astor?” Evergray asked, approaching his husband. He rested a gentle hand on Merlin’s withers and turned aside to cough. The mist here was really playing with his sickness, thanks in no small part to the particles of Pandorian dust in it. Ah, the perils of building the statues out of Pandoric rock. But at least they looked pretty, and it enhanced the runes that were carved into them.

“Are you okay?” Astor asked, opening his eyes and sitting up. He tried to dismount but his foot became tangled in the stirrup. In an instant, Evergray was at his side, taking his husband into his arms once more and stepping away from Merlin, who gave a snort but turned his attention to his rider.

“I should be asking you that,” said Evergray, smiling at him. But he was concerned. “I thought Louisa healed you.”

“She did, even though I told her to save her energy,” said Astor. “But I did use up a lot of energy fighting that bitch.”

“Yes, you did,” said Evergray, carrying his husband over to the tent that he’d set up between the Concorde and Tin Can statues. It was quite a simple tent, but then, Astor didn’t make his bigger-on-the-inside tents lavishly decorated like a miniature palace. He just needed room enough for himself, his husband, and at least one cat.

Evergray ducked inside of the tent but then straightened again before carrying his husband over to the double bed and placing him down. And, okay, the double bed was quite lavish, being a four-poster covered with blankets and furs (even an odd pale blue fur that did not come from this world) but a guy had to have some creature comforts.

“Please, I may be centuries old but you don’t have to treat me like my age,” said Astor with a roll of his eyes.

“Actually, I think I do,” said Evergray, finding his place on the bed beside his husband. Astor snorted, rolling his eyes.

“What, because I fell off my horse?” Astor asked, turning to face him.

“Here, I’ll list them for you,” said Evergray, holding up one finger, and Astor sighed but let him speak. “You threw yourself into battle against Sabine, nearly wrecking yourself in the process, you were leaning against me for support because of your injuries, and yes, you fell off your horse. So I think I should be worried about you, elder god or not.”

“I had to protect my kids,” said Astor. “And if you must know, I was worried about you. That’s why I went after Sabine like that.”

“You were?” Evergray asked, surprise widening his eyes. He coughed into his hand, which Astor frowned at.

“Well, I mean, aside from the obvious,” said Astor, pointing to Evergray’s chest. “On our way to the vault, I heard someone following us. Yes, there were a lot of people there with us, but it just sounded off. Different. I didn’t want to worry the kids, though, because they were worried enough. They’re too young to have the weight of the world on their shoulders. Even with three of them being actual giants.” Evergray smiled.

“Probably could have saved us some trouble, as that brother of mine would say, but it’s in the past now,” said Evergray.

“When do you ever think about the alternatives or consequences?” Astor asked with a smile. “You just jump in and get things done, that’s what I love about you. But that’s also why I was worried about you. Why I stayed with you by that portal.”

“Aww, you do care,” Evergay teased. Astor laughed.

“We’re married, I’m contractually obligated to care about you,” said Astor. Evergray smirked. “But yes, I was worried that whoever was following us would jump you at the portal while the kids were helping Conrad and Magnus with the keystone.”

“And you thought I couldn’t defend myself?” Evergray asked.

“Well, excuse me for worrying about my husband when he’s dying of Pandorian sickness,” said Astor. That sobered Evergray, and he looked down for a moment. All he could hear was the sound of his own raspy breathing, and Astor’s more normal, if tired, breathing beside him. And a snoring cat somewhere, probably under their bed. His eyes found the pale blue fur pelt to stare at, and he pulled it towards him to stroke it while he thought about what Astor had said.

“You’re right,” said Evergray. “And you know I don’t say that often, so note that down.”

“I will,” said Astor, grinning at him. But only for a moment. In that moment, Evergray loved the look of him, his face youthful despite his years, the lamplight glowing dimly on it. Astor could have easily made an electric lamp, but he liked the aesthetic of oil lamps. “But really, you are one of the great loves of my life, Evergray.”

“You’re mine too,” said Evergray. He coughed into his fist, turning his head aside so as not to get any blood on his husband or the blue fur pelt.

“We can sleep out near the campsite if you want,” said Astor.

“No, we have to be here first thing to set things up before the kids arrive,” said Evergray. “Besides, they won’t want two old men crashing their party.”

“I’ll have you know I’m the cool gay uncle,” said Astor, looking quite proud of himself. “But seriously, Ev, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

“Then don’t call me that,” said Evergray, his eyes twinkling with mirth in addition to the bright pink light that always shone from the eye that the sickness had taken completely. “I can’t believe you’re jealous of a clockmaker. I should tell her that.”

“Aideen save us,” said Astor with a shudder. “Then she’d be going on and on about how a scary, evil wizard is going to put a curse on her because she made eyes at his husband.” Evergray laughed until he started coughing again, and in an instant, Astor had sat up, his eyes burning with a familiar intensity, and cast a spell to relocate the tent and everything within it.

“Astor, you’re supposed to be resting,” said Evergray, his gaze worried as Astor flopped back onto the bed and closed his eyes against a wave of dizziness.

“With you coughing all night? Nobody could rest through that,” said Astor. “I worry more about you and that’s final.”

“Are we seriously bickering over who worries about who more?” Evergray asked, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

“Listen, when you’ve been married as long as us, you start bickering about stupid shit, it comes with age,” said Astor.

“Well then, I can say that I was worried sick when you threw yourself at Sabine like that and then refused treatment until Louisa had to beg you to let her heal you,” said Evergray.

“And I can say that I was worried about someone hurting you while we were distracted making the keystone, and then when you insisted on sleeping in Guardians Dale,” said Astor. He pouted at Evergray, Evergray returning his pout, until one of them snorted at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Look at us,” said Evergray once the laughter had subsided into quiet wheezes interspersed with the occasional cough by Evergray.

“We’re ridiculous,” said Astor. “Everyone should aspire to be as stupid as us when it comes to arguments.”

“And wouldn’t the world be a much simpler and more peaceful place if they were,” said Evergray. But he remained looking at his husband, still stroking the smooth pelt of the animal that he’d seen alive once.

“Do you think we’ll find him tomorrow?” Astor asked, looking at the pelt.

“I highly doubt our husband will be hanging out at Prison Island,” said Evergray. “But I don’t mind, it just means I have you all to myself a little longer.”

“You’re probably right,” said Astor. He sighed. “If only Pandorians could be called somehow! That society really needs phones, I’m telling you.” Evergray chuckled.

“I seem to recall having the same argument with the druids when mobile phones were first created,” said Evergray. “It went about as well as you’d expect.”

“Argh, technology scary, Thomas Edison was a witch,” Astor mocked, and that set both of them off into fresh laughter. Astor moved closer to Evergray, resting his head on his husband’s chest. The rasp of his breathing always worried Astor, but now, it was as much a part of Evergray as his penchant for rebellion.

“Pretty much,” said Evergray, tears of mirth in his eyes. “And then there’s the internet, my gosh.” He rolled his eyes. “But Avalon’s on board with converting the Silverglade library to digital archives.”

“How much pestering did that take?” Astor asked.

“The nerve of the guy,” said Evergray, sitting up and gesturing with his hands. “He agreed to it after Linda suggested it. Linda! As if my suggestion and reasoning wasn’t good enough!”

“The nerve,” Astor agreed, lying propped up on one elbow as he looked up at his husband. But then Evergray noticed what he’d done and was quick to resume his former position, pulling Astor into his arms.

“To be fair, I did suggest the druid archives so we wouldn’t have to travel all the way to the archives every time we needed to know something, but still,” said Evergray.

“They’re not ready for magitech yet,” said Astor. Evergray knew better than to mention the Cosmic Clock, especially after Astor had given him the chewing-out of a lifetime over it. Of course, Evergray had made it up to Astor with a heartfelt apology to Daine’s door and Ydris’ wagon’s door, as well as copious amounts of grovelling.

“They’re not ready for anything,” said Evergray. “Maybe Anne will be able to convince them, she’s scary enough. From what I’ve heard.”

“I guess we’ll find out tomorrow,” said Astor. And he closed his eyes, trying to will his mind to cooperate with his body’s wishes and rest. “Goodnight, my rebellious husband.”

“Goodnight, my scary evil wizard,” said Evergray. Astor laughed silently, a smile curling his lips. For all of his rebellion, all of his crazy schemes and life-threatening illness, Evergray had a damn good sense of humour. Just one of the many things that Astor loved about him.


End file.
